The certificate of authenticity of the diamond

The certificate of authenticity of a diamond is an official document issued by an independent laboratory that guarantees the quality of the diamond you intend to purchase.

The certificate is issued by an organization independent of your diamond seller. It guarantees the characteristics of the diamond presented to you, characteristics that justify the price of the diamond.

G VS2 diamond certificate mounted on a wedding ring for a client

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You will discover everything you need to know to make your diamond jewelry purchases online or in store.

Examples of diamond rings from our collection or custom-made:

Index

1. The different types of diamond certificates
2. How to read a diamond certificate
3. The main laboratories that certify diamonds
4. Fake GIA certificates

The different types of certificates

Each diamond certification laboratory has its own certificate model, but the information presented is very similar from one laboratory to another.

It contains a report number and the diamond’s grading according to the 4Cs of diamond grading (for more information on the 4Cs of diamonds, read this article).

This report is tamper-proof as it can be consulted online on the website of the issuing laboratory to verify that what is reported on the paper certificate corresponds to the original report archived by the laboratory.

In the case of the certificate issued by the GIA presented here, the report data can be verified on the GIA website with the report number: 5186977170 available online on the GIA website.

How to read the diamond certificate?

All certificates are made up of several blocks of information. It contains the number of the report issued by the laboratory, the block of main information relating to the classification of the diamond, then the additional information regarding the diamond and its optical properties and finally the international scales for evaluating the quality of the diamond.

The most important thing for a buyer is the block of information related to the quality of the diamond, because it is these properties that determine the price of the diamond.

This GIA video will help you read your quality certificate:

The main diamond certification laboratories

Although GIA is a well-known diamond grading laboratory, there are many others that do the same job and are reliable:

How to have a certified or authenticated diamond?

You can therefore request certification of your diamond or have it certified yourself by contacting one of the laboratories mentioned above.

In most cases, 0.3 carat diamonds sold in jewelry stores or online already come with a guarantee certificate. But this is not an obligation.

Light weight diamonds that are not of exceptional quality are generally not certified as the cost of the certificate may match or exceed the price of the diamond. The quality (and therefore the price) of the diamond must therefore justify this certificate.

Keep in mind that there are different types of more or less complete certificates and that therefore prices vary.

Ask the laboratory you contact about the prices of the different certification services they offer.

To get your diamond certified, you must supply it not set in a piece of jewelry. A set diamond cannot be graded and therefore cannot be certified.

Fake GIA diamond certificates

The diamond has two major disadvantages so that the buyer can appreciate the quality of what he owns or what he is about to buy:

• on the one hand you have to be an expert to be able to judge the quality of a diamond
• on the other hand, the quality of the diamond can only be appreciated when it is not set in a jewel

Therefore, when purchasing diamond jewelry, the certificate is the key to ensuring the quality and value of the diamond set on the ring or jewelry.

Fraud in the sale of a diamond will therefore result in the provision of a fake GIA (or other laboratory) certificate for a diamond of lower quality than that described in the certificate.

The case of this GIA diamond certificate fraud described by the company’s GGTL laboratories is an exemplary case study that you need to read to fully understand the subtleties of this type of fraud.

How to recognize a fake GIA certificate?

Various checks allow us to suspect an attempted fraud.

Laser engraving

• High quality diamonds are always laser engraved, the first thing to do is check that the laser engraving on the belt matches the report number on the certificate.
• This is a necessary condition not sufficient.

Diamond impurities

• In most cases, the certificate reports the shape and arrangement of the inclusions in the diamond, thus representing its fingerprint.
• Comparing the visible impurities of the diamond with those presented on the certificate with a magnifying glass allows you to verify the consistency of the diamond with the certificate presented.

The certificate itself

The certificates of your diamonds have details that are barely or not visible to the naked eye and are difficult for counterfeiters to reproduce, just like banknotes:

• from holograms
• prints with special inks
• tamper-proof bottom printing
• others not specified by the laboratories

Comparing your diamond certificate with another certificate whose authenticity you are sure of will allow you to dispel any doubts about the validity of your diamond certificate.

If in doubt, contact a recognized laboratory or house for advice.

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